Reasons You Should Retain Chris Thayer to Help You
You may wonder whether it is necessary to hire an attorney to help you with your personal injury claim. While it is certainly not required, and many people do try to represent themselves on their claims, I think there are many reasons why you should consider hiring an experienced personal injury attorney. For an experienced Seattle area personal injury attorney who can help you through this process, contact me for a free consultation and initial case evaluation.
- Free Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation. I offer a FREE initial consultation. At no charge, I will review and evaluate your case and provide you with my initial opinions and analysis of your possible claims.
- Regular Status Reports. It is important to note that claims and cases often develop over time as we obtain additional information. As a result, if you retain my services, I will periodically update you on the status of your claim and advise you of any changes in my evaluation and assessment. I will work with you to make sure that we explore all facts which may affect the value of your claim.
- Maximize Your Settlement or Verdict. I will aggressively investigate and pursue your claim to get you the best settlement possible under the circumstances. I have extensive experience and training in dealing with insurance companies, and I will use this experience to maximize the amount of any settlement for you by ensuring that all evidence supporting your claim is presented in the most favorable light. If it becomes necessary to file a lawsuit, I am an experienced trial lawyer and we will present your claim to a jury.
- If I Don’t Obtain A Settlement or Verdict for You, You Will Not Owe Any Attorney’s Fees. My attorney’s fees are typically paid on a contingent fee basis, which means the fees are paid out of the settlement, arbitration award, or verdict that I obtain for you. Consequently, if there is no recovery, you will not owe any attorney’s fees. You will, however, be legally responsible for any costs or expenses incurred in the pursuit of your claim. I will explain and review this with you in detail at our initial meeting.
- Experience Dealing With Insurance Companies. I am accustomed to negotiating and dealing with insurance companies. Insurance adjusters are trained to do what they can to minimize your claim and pay you as little as possible. If you hire me, I will make sure insurance companies don’t take advantage of you or try to force you to accept an unfair settlement. Insurance adjusters working for the at-fault party often contact accident victims shortly after the accident, and tell the injured person that the insurance company will “take care of things” and will ask you to just sign a few forms and send in your medical bills. For minor accidents, where you only have very minor injuries, this may be fine. If you are seriously injured, however, and the injuries result in long-term or permanent disabilities, it is important to understand the role of the various insurance companies - your insurance company and the insurance company for the at-fault parties - to make sure your rights are protected. Don’t sign or agree to anything without at least first consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney. Insurance companies know that by contacting a person who has been involved in an accident early in the process, they can put pressure on you to settle prematurely and make ill-advised decisions regarding your claim. By retaining my services, I will ensure you make educated and informed decisions about your claim and that you understand your rights. If you would like an experienced Seattle area personal injury attorney to review and evaluate your potential claim, please contact me to schedule a free initial case evaluation.
Under certain circumstances, you may also have a claim with (uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist or personal injury protection coverage) or against your own insurance company (bad faith or claims under Washington’s Insurance Fair Conduct Act), and I can help you work through the terms of your insurance policy and understand your rights under Washington law to ensure that you don’t leave any stone unturned as part of our effort to maximize your recovery. - Experienced Staff. My experienced staff will work with you to collect all information and records (including medical records, employment records, insurance information, damage estimates and other important records) to best support and maximize your claim. They will assist me in collating and organizing your records so that I can present your claim in a clear and easy to understand fashion, which will ensure that the insurance adjuster has a complete picture of your injuries and damages relating to your personal injury claim.
- Sorting out the Complicated Legal Issues. In almost every personal injury case, there will be legal issues to address. These will range from disputed liability to challenging proximate cause issues where the injured person has the burden of proving that certain damages were caused by the accident and not some other cause. I am an experience trial lawyer and I have the ability and resources to address these issues. If necessary, I will pursue your case all the way through trial.
- Objective Case Evaluation and Analysis. It is easy to get emotional and want to lash out at the insurance company and the person or company who caused your injuries. I will help you by providing an objective evaluation of your claims, so that you can make sound and reasonable decisions. I will help you estimate the reasonable value of your claims, based on my experience and research.
- Recovery of All Damages. Based on my experience, I will thoroughly review your case and help ensure that we seek compensation for all of your damages. If you attempt to pursue your claim by yourself, you may overlook certain elements of your damages, thus decreasing your overall settlement.
- Experts. I have an extensive network of medical, scientific and legal experts that I have worked with in the past. We will retain or consult with these experts to help support and maximize your claim as necessary. This may include medical experts to offer opinions about your injuries including causation, diagnoses, treatment options, future medical expenses and whether any of your injuries may have resulted in a permanent partial disability. If appropriate for your case, I will also consult with accident reconstruction specialists, engineers, bio-mechanics experts, economists and other medical or scientific experts to help fully evaluate and pursue your claims.
- Paperwork/Motions. Pursuing a personal injury claim often involves extensive paperwork and documentation. If a lawsuit is filed to preserve and/or maximize your personal injury claim, I have extensive litigation experience and can effectively handle all of the motions and legal paperwork required by the courts to pursue your claim. This means you can focus on healing and recovery and let us hit a home run for you.
- Dealing with the Defense. If it is necessary to file a lawsuit to pursue your personal injury claim, the defendant’s insurance company will hire an attorney to defend your claim. I am an experienced trial lawyer and I will work with this attorney and utilize the court rules, procedures and case law to advocate for your claim and maximize your recovery.
- Complex, Multi-Party Accidents. In cases potentially involving more than one at-fault party and/or multiple insurance policies with competing claims, I will help you navigate these complex issues to ensure that we obtain the best possible result for your personal injury claim.
- Satisfied Clients. One way to measure my effectiveness is to see what my clients have said about my services in the past. Read testimonials from clients I have helped in the past.
- Ethical and Professional. I will aggressively protect your rights and pursue your claim, but I will not engage in any “dirty practices” and will always represent you in a conscientious and professional manner. In my experience, you are always better off taking the “moral high ground”. If you are looking for an attorney who will “win at all costs”, even if this means bending the rules or engaging in other unprofessional conduct, then I am not the attorney for you.
- Counselor at Law. I treat my clients with respect and I care about their experience and the difficulties they face in dealing with a serious personal injury that may have life-altering results. I will always do my best to help you through this experience in a kind, considerate and compassionate manner. Although the practice of law is a business, it is also about helping people.
- Asking the Tough Questions. Sometimes, the best and most important questions are the least obvious ones. As an experienced trial lawyer, I know how to ask the tough questions and how to follow-up to best ensure that we get to the truth.
- Answering your Questions. If you have any questions about your claim, I am happy to talk you through these issues. Normally, we will return your calls or e-mails the same day, or within 24 hours.
- Review of your Medical Treatment. I have extensive experience reviewing medical records and information, and my office will ensure that the important aspects of your treatment and diagnoses, including treatment codes and disability ratings, are highlighted and brought to the attention of the insurance adjuster to help ensure your maximum recovery.
- Technology. My office is committed to using the latest technology to best present your claim, which may include multi-medial presentations or three-dimensional models where appropriate and as needed.
- Fighting Fire with Fire. Insurance companies have spent years and years on their claims process. Insurance companies are like any other for profit corporation: they are in the business to make money. This means that, in general, insurance companies will want to pay you as little as possible on your claim. Insurance companies have a variety of techniques and strategies developed by their lawyers and accountants to try to achieve that goal. If you have a serious personal injury and a significant claim, you need a lawyer on your side who is familiar with how to best maximize your claim. For an experienced Seattle area personal injury attorney who can help you through this process, contact me for a free consultation and initial case evaluation.
- Legal Research. If your case involves challenges regarding proving liability or damages, I am well-versed in Washington law on these issues and will also conduct legal research on your specific case to make sure that your interests are protected.
- Depositions. If your case proceeds to litigation, the defense will most likely request your deposition. This is where the defendant’s attorney (typically appointed by defendant’s insurance company) will ask you questions under oath about you and your claims. This process can be intimidating, but I will help you prepare for your deposition and work with you to make sure you are as prepared as possible. For an experienced Seattle area personal injury attorney who can help you through this process, contact me for a free consultation and initial case evaluation.
- Toll Free Telephone Number. You can call me toll free from around the country at 1-866-884-2417.
- Breakdown of Recovery. If we receive a settlement or verdict, you will receive a detailed itemized accounting of all expenses and legal fees, so that you can see exactly what is getting paid and how much money you will receive.